For the first time, Hedgerly looked less than the complete master of everything he surveyed. "It is also historic fact," he said in a sepulchral tone, "that I add my efforts to make history satisfy itself. You see," he said, brightening, "how it all comes out!" He dug into an inside pocket and came up with a wallet. From it he extracted a newspaper clipping yellow and brittle with age. "Here is the original. I just copied it for the advertisement." Peter took the aged clipping and read it. His hands shook and the clipping fell apart. "No matter," smiled Hedgerly. "Its job is done." "Is done?" demanded Peter. "Of course. Marie Baker will be at your apartment this evening." "I'll scratch her bald-headed," threatened Joan. Hedgerly shook his head. "No, you won't," he said positively. Then he looked down at Peter and his eyes ran over the experimental setup. "It won't work," he said to Peter. "You're on the wrong track. It is impossible to accelerate and focus and direct the neutron. The neutron, possessing no charge, is therefore unaffected by either magnetic or electrostatic fields." Peter looked up quietly. "I've evidence to the contrary," he said. "We believe that the neutron does possess a charge: that it is theoretically impossible for anything to exist without some charge, though the charge may be exceedingly minute. We believe the neutron to be possessed of a charge of plus or minus--depending upon the moment of intrinsic angular momentum--ten to the minus fifteenth electrostatic units less than that of the electron. Therefore--" "You will find that the experimental evidence you get is impure," said Hedgerly. "You'll save time if you abandon this project." "Indeed? And what should I take up?" "You'll do history a better turn if you take to investigating the magnetic properties of mass." "Is that a matter of history, too?" Hedgerly shrugged. "If I told you all I know about it," he said in a superior tone that made Peter want to commit homicide, "then you'd have too much time to sit around and feel frustrated because fate is a written book." "Spinach," snorted Peter. His hand hit the main switch again and the humming roar leaped out at them from all sides. Peter grinned as he noted the wrist watch on Hedgerly's arm. Unless the character had a one thousand per cent nonmagnetic movement, the insides by now would be keeping the Devil's Own Time. * * * * * It was nine o'clock. For the eleventh time since dinner, Peter leaned out of his study and called: "Now?" Hedgerly shook his head. "Not yet," he said. "Well," said Peter this time. "Come in here. I'm on the trail of something." "I know," replied Hedgerly. "You've discovered the Hedgerly Effect." "The what?" stumbled Peter. "Named after its discoverer. You're quite famous in the future, you know," replied Hedgerly. "What is this Hedgerly Effect?" "The one you've just discovered," replied Hedgerly.